Oct 8th, 2012

The Diamond Shah is 88.7 carat, 3 cm long, yellow diamond, extremely clear.This diamond was found in Central India, probably in 1450, and is currently in the Kremlin.It was rendered to the Nizam Shahi court in Ahmednagar. In 1591, Shah Nizam ordered carving on one of the facets of the diamond: “Burhan-Nizam-Shah Second. Year 1000”.

In the same 1591, the ruler of the Northern India, the Great Moghul Akbar, occupied Ahmadnagar and seized the diamond. After Akbar’s grandson, Shah Jehan (trans. “the king of the world”) came to the throne of Great Moghuls, he commanded to carve another inscription: “The son of Jehangir-Shah Jehan-Shah. Year 1051”. By the modern calendar, it was 1641. The son of Jehan-shah Aureng-Zeb hung the diamond above his throne and encircled it with rubies and emeralds. Till 1738, the diamond Shah was kept in Delhi.In 1738, Nadir Shah attacked India, seized the diamond, and took it back with him to Persia. In 1824, the third inscription appeared on the third facet: “The ruler of the Kadgar-Fath ali-shah Sultan. Year 1242”.In 1829, Russian diplomat and writer Alexandr Griboyedov was murdered in the capital of Persia, Tehran. The Russian government demanded severe punishment of those responsible. In fear, the court of Shah Fath Ali Shah sent the Shah’s grandson Khosrow Mirza to Saint Petersburg, where he gave the Shah diamond to the Russian Tsar as a present.

In 1914, the Shah diamond came to the Kremlin Diamond Fund, where it is exhibited as one of Seven Historical Gems. It remains there at the Kremlin.